


Trans Buds

by weedle_writes_gay_stuff



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Comfort, Coming Out, F/M, Trans Female Character, Transgender
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:08:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25005175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/weedle_writes_gay_stuff/pseuds/weedle_writes_gay_stuff
Summary: A little something to close out Pride month. I've noticed trans Steven is pretty popular in the fandom, which is awesome, but I wanted to do something with Connie being trans, since I don't see it as often and thought it'd be nice to try. So, have this little oneshot! (This takes place sometime after CYM but before the movie btw.)
Relationships: Connie Maheswaran/Steven Universe
Comments: 3
Kudos: 50





	Trans Buds

As the episode of Crying Breakfast Friends they were watching together came to an end, Steven glanced over at Connie and noticed something strange. He realized she had what looked like a hair on her cheek. He had to be imagining it, right? He looked back at the screen, then back at her, and when she turned around and said something to him, he didn’t reply. “Steven?” she asked.

“Hm?” he said.

“I said, what did you think of it?” she repeated.

“I liked it, yeah,” he answered at last. His hand gently moved over to touch hers, and she blushed a little. “Is this OK?” he asked.

She nodded, and the two of them moved together, both now flustered. But when his hand touched her cheek and his thumb brushed along the hair, her eyes widened and she shrank back from him.

Steven’s eyes widened too as he recognized her discomfort. “Connie, is something wrong? I’m sorry!” he said quickly, moving his hands to his sides awkwardly so he wouldn’t intimidate her.

“N-no, it’s fine,” Connie replied shakily. “Just…” Her voice trailed off as she touched her cheek again and frowned.

“What’s wrong?” Steven asked. “You can tell me, I promise I’ll understand.”

Connie could feel her palms had gone cold, and her heart thudded in her chest at a million miles an hour. “It’s kinda really big,” she mumbled. “I… Steven, please don’t take this the wrong way, but I dunno if you will understand.”

Steven’s tone softened, still curious but careful not to make her feel pressured. “If you don’t wanna tell me, you don’t have to. But I want to try and help.”

“You promise not to get mad or upset or anything?” she asked.

“Of course.” Steven looked at her with big gregarious eyes. “I could never be mad at you, you know that.”

Connie bit her lip. “OK, I guess I should come out and say it,” she said, as much to herself as to Steven. She took a deep breath and then said quietly, “…I’m trans.”

“Ohh, OK!” Steven replied quietly. “That’s cool! So, do you have like a new name you want me to use instead, or-“

“No, I mean I’ve always been trans!” Connie corrected. “Well, like, not always always. But the whole time I’ve known you. When I was born, people used to think I was a boy, but I’m not.”

As she said this, she silently prepared for Steven to be shocked, to make some kind of dumb remark that he intended in a positive way but which upset her. Instead, he simply opened his arms to give her a hug, and she eagerly took it. “Thanks for being OK with it,” she said softly.

“Of course,” Steven smiled, gently stroking her hair- her actual hair, not that stuff he’d noticed earlier. “Can I ask something?”

Connie braced herself all over again. “Sure,” she answered.

“Am I the first person you’ve told? Besides, like, your mom and dad.”

“You’re the first friend, yeah,” said Connie.

Steven was a little flattered at that, at the same time as feeling really sorry for her. “I’m sorry I upset you just now like I did,” he added.

“It’s OK,” she answered. “To be honest, I’ve kinda wanted to talk about it with someone for a while now. I just didn’t wanna annoy mom and dad cause of how busy they’ve been, and I wasn’t sure you’d be OK with it.”

“Of course I’m OK with it,” Steven replied. “If something upsets you, and I can help with it, I always want to.”

“Thanks,” Connie smiled.

“Um… I was wondering something else. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, obviously.” Steven figured it was probably best to ensure she knew that about his questions, now he thought about it. Connie made a “mhm” sound, and he asked, “When did you realize you were a girl?”

“I was like 5, I think,” she explained. “When I was really little, I used to play dress-up with dresses and stuff, and then at about 5, mom and dad started telling me not to. I got super upset about that, and we started fighting about it. And then I remember one time, I told them I didn’t want to be a boy.”

Steven had a shocked expression at all that. “That’s horrible,” he said, holding her hands softly. “My dad never did anything like that to me. I can’t imagine how much it sucks being told not to do stuff just ‘cause you’re a boy. I’m sorry, Connie.”  
“It’s OK. I’m just glad they listened to me in the end,” smiled Connie.

“Yeah, same.” Suddenly something hit Steven. “So, if they agreed to you doing girly stuff, how come you didn’t wanna stay a boy who does girly stuff?”

“Well, after they let me start doing girly stuff again, I still kinda didn’t feel happy. And I was interested in a bunch of stuff boys like too, so it took a while for me to realize I meant it when I said I didn’t want to be a boy. I told mom, and she was really surprised and kinda upset, but after that I think she did the nicest thing she’s ever done for me.”

“Tell me,” Steven beamed, that cute starry-eyed look in his eyes. Connie giggled, and as she recounted it she could practically see it in her mind’s eye.

*

Connie sat dead still in the back of the car as her mom drove her home from school that day. She hadn’t said a word to her, and as a result Connie was petrified she would explode at her once the two of them got in the house.

When they pulled up on the driveway, her mom said softly, “Could you go to the living room?” Connie nodded and headed there once she got inside, sitting down on the sofa anxiously.

She bounced her foot mindlessly, waiting for her mom to get in. But when she did, she did something Connie hadn’t expected. She said, “Connie?”

Connie looked back at her in amazement. “Yeah?” she asked quietly. Her mom sat down next to her and hugged her to her side. “M-mom, what’s up?” she giggled.

“When I was at work, I looked up how you’ve been feeling,” her mom explained. “So, you feel like you’re a girl even though people think you’re a boy, right?”

“Yeah,” Connie replied.

“As far as I can tell, that means you’re transgender. I didn’t realize, but it’s something some people go through, and people telling them it’s not real or they’re wrong for feeling it hurts a lot. I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you, Connie.”

The little girl’s eyes widened. Her mom never apologized to her, not even when she’d let her do ‘girly stuff’ again. She could barely handle it, and started crying, mumbling, “Thanks mom,” between sobs.

“Of course,” her mom smiled. “I’m a medical professional, I’m not exactly gonna delude myself into thinking my daughter’s my son because people with no idea what they’re talking about tell me she is.”

Connie giggled a little at that. “Um, mom… can you ask dad and other people to call me Connie from now on instead of…” She couldn’t even say her deadname. It felt like doing so would bring everything down.

Recognizing this, Priyanka smiled. “Of course!” she answered. “And don’t worry, your father and I will never say that again. And nor will anyone who cares about you.”

*

When she’d finished telling Steven about it, he looked like he was gonna cry almost as much as she had. “I never knew your mom could be that sweet,” he mumbled.

“Yeah, she isn’t most of the time,” Connie scoffed. “But she was sweet when it counted, so that’s something, huh?”

Steven nodded. “I just realized something,” he piped up. “I hope this doesn’t sound weird, but… in a way, I kinda know how you feel.”

“Huh?”

“Well, for ages I thought I was mom, or I had to be like mom, or people thought I was my mom, right?” he pointed out. “It took me a really long time to realize I’m not Rose Quartz, or Pink Diamond, I’m Steven. And I guess a part of that is that no matter how much I do girly stuff, I’m still a boy.”

Connie thought for a moment. “Yeah, I get what you mean,” she agreed. “Just like how when I do boyish stuff, it doesn’t make me any less of a girl.”

Steven noticed her face fall as she said this, as if she didn’t really believe it. “Um, do you need to talk about something?” he asked quietly.

“It’s the hair,” she admitted finally. “I’m 13 in a couple months, and I know that means a bunch of stuff is starting to happen to me, and… whenever I think about that, it makes me wanna be sick. Like, getting a really hairy face and body, my voice breaking, I don’t want that stuff!”

“You’ll still be really pretty to me,” Steven replied.

“I know, but I wanna like how I look myself!” Connie sighed. 

Steven hugged her softly, and then an idea popped into his head. “Maybe you could talk to your mom and see if she can get you something to stop it happening? I dunno what you call it, but I know there’s something that does that,” he suggested.

“Oh, hormone blockers? That might be a good idea,” she smiled. That smile faded almost instantly. “But I dunno if I can convince mom, she’s been so busy with stuff lately.”

“I’m sure you will,” Steven assured her. “She accepts you for who you are, and she’s a doctor. If she can understand you being her daughter when people tell you you’re actually her son, I think she can understand you need her help with this.”

Connie’s smile came right back. “I guess you’re right,” she replied. “Thanks, Steven.” As the two of them ended their hug, she noticed Steven had a dumb grin on his face. “What’s so funny?” she teased.

“I just realized- we’re not just jam buds, we’re trans buds!” he chuckled.

“Maybe we should rewrite the song,” she giggled. “Genders in harmony, we come together perfectly, come on and share this trans with me!” The two of them laughed at that and hugged softly.


End file.
